Existential Hope Drop # 26: Stuart Buck – What is Good Science?
Science is our most powerful tool for progress, yet many believe the system is broken. So, how can we fix it?
This month, we're excited to have Stuart Buck, executive director of the Good Science Project, join us. Stuart has funded renowned work highlighting the frequent irreproducibility of scientific research, including the Reproducibility Projects in Psychology and Cancer Biology.
As a leader in meta-science, Stuart is dedicated to improving how research is funded, reducing bureaucratic hurdles for scientists, and fostering innovative and reproducible science. Join us as we dive into his insights and explore ways to strengthen the scientific community.
Stuart’s Recommended Resources
Why Are We Screwing Over Researchers Who Make Innovative Discoveries? – Stuart Buck, 2024
Karikó was cheated – Stuart Buck, 2024
Minimum Viable Bureaucracy – Stuart Buck, 2023
Reproducibility Project – Center for Open Science, 2021
Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence of apparent efficacy – Eric Turner et al., 2008
The Future of Open Science Policy – Federation of American Scientists, 2024
Maximising Investigators' Research Awards – General Medical Sciences
Good Science Project and their Substack
Stuart's Vision for the Future of Science
Stuart imagines a future where "two different systems operate with equal funding," allowing us to observe large-scale outcomes and test a variety of meta-science ideas that have been discussed for years.
These changes wouldn't be minor tweaks. Stuart envisions entire institutions operating completely differently from current ones, managed by entirely new leaders. He believes that our current focus on gaining approval from existing bureaucracies stifles innovation and radical thinking. In Stuart's view, it's time to break free from these constraints and reimagine how science is conducted and funded!
About the art
This art piece was created with the help of Dall–E 3.
Xhope Library Recommendations on Improving Science
CONFRONTING STAGNATION: WHAT’S GOING WRONG?
An Era of Stagnation and Universal Institutional Failure - Peter Thiel, Eric Weinstein. On why and how innovation and scientific progress are declining.
A Conversation with Mark Zuckerberg, Patrick Collison, and Tyler Cowern - Tech & Society. Zuckerberg interviews Collison and Cowen on slowing scientific progress and how to accelerate it.
Growth, Progress, Culture - Patrick Collison. Asks if growth, progress, and culture are declining and what we can do about it.
Institutional Failure as Surprise - Samo Burja. A historic account of why institutions fail.
Breakthrough Science Roadmap, Life in 2050 – Prime Movers Lab. This blog envisions a roadmap of technological and scientific breakthroughs aimed at addressing global challenges like climate change and poverty, aiming to enhance human wellbeing and create a world of abundance.
News from the Existential Hope Ecosystem
Call for Applications 2025: Planetary Scholars & Artists in Residence Program
Call for Applications 2025: Planetary Scholars & Artists in Residence Program, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen – Planetary Thinking
Focus: designing the building blocks of a PLANETARY DEMOCRACY prototype; a new form of democratic government that aims at keeping the Earth habitable and includes more-than-human agents.
What: 8 three-month Fellowships are awarded to individuals/transdisciplinary pairs with an advanced academic or artistic record relevant to the underlying themes PLANETARY AGENCY and/or PLANETARY POLITICS.
When: April-June and September-November 2025
Deadline to apply: July 24, 2024
The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness
Research shows strong evidence of conscious experience in mammals and birds, and suggests the possibility in all vertebrates and many invertebrates. Given this, it’s crucial to consider animal welfare in our decisions.
The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness is launching to promote awareness and action based on this evidence. Visit their site to learn more and see if you should sign.
Learn more about our work at existentialhope.com.